School board filing closes: Race features five nonincumbents

By Lindsay Street

Lindsay Street/Gazette
Seven candidates have filed for four Berkeley County school board seats.

Filing has officially closed for Berkeley County school board candidates, and every district except one will have two candidates vying for the seat.

District 2, 4, 6 and 8 are up for reelection Nov. 4. Filing for the nonpartisan seats closed noon Aug. 15.

Two of the incumbents have not filed for reelection: District 2’s Doug Cooper and District 6’s Sheldon Etheridge. Etheridge has told the Gazette he is moving to Clarendon County. Cooper has not given a reason as to why he’s not seeking reelection.

District 2 will be fought between Mac McQuillin and Rindy Ryan. McQuillin filed just after noon on Aug. 1 when filing opened, and Ryan filed during the last week.

District 4’s incumbent Shannon Lee has filed to seek her second term. She is being challenged by Jeff Reuer.

District 6 is wide open with two nonincumbent candidates: Tommy McPherson and Sally Wofford. Wofford filed first. McPherson filed during the last week.

McPherson has volunteered with district schools for more than 20 years.

“Running is an extension of what I’ve been doing for 20 years. It’s just one more step in community service,” he said. McPherson added that he hoped he’d bring his “reconciliation skills and get people moving in the same direction” on the board.

District 8’s only candidate is incumbent Frank Wright, who is seeking his fifth term on the board.

In other election news, Berkeley County voters will have a chance to renew the one-cent sales transportation tax on the Nov. 4 ballot. According to election staff, the county turned in the paperwork before the noon Aug. 15 deadline after council passed the ordinance allowing the referendum earlier in the week.

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